At the Dynamic Church Conference, I said I would post some links for resources. Here you go:

• Master Dashboard – Click on the “Dashboard Spreadsheet” link at the bottom of the post.
• Personal Growth Plan – this is the plan used by the staff and church at Faith Promise.

Leave a comment and I will update any other information needed.

You guys were great!

Kim and I had the privilege to teach a session at the Faith Promise Marriage and Parenting Summit last Friday. It was an incredible time sharing our hearts with those who were a part of those 50-minutes together. The session was titled, Parenting: The First Five Years, and we reviewed the areas that we won and the areas that we needed improvement as parents.

During the session, we asked the couple to answer 4 questions, and I’m going to share those with you in a four-part post. So, let’s dive in:

As a couple, what have been your greatest relational struggles since you had children?

There were three answers that dominated this question:

1. Time together/intimacy
2. Agreement towards discipline/parenting styles
3. Feelings of exhaustion/energy

I wish that I could say that we’ve always won in these areas, and we could spend days unpacking them. However, I want to give you some thoughts that we believe will help you with each.

• Clarify your expectations. Each person in a marriage comes from a different background – spiritually, emotionally, relationally, etc. So, each person has a different idea of what time together looks like or parenting styles. Talk about your expectations in each of these areas, and compromise to a place of agreement that each person can feel good about the decision made. Then, live it out! Most of our struggles come when we have lack of clarity due to lack of communication. (Note to guys: don’t try to win…COMPROMISE for the best solution.)

• Establish family values. Discipline is often driven by values, and each of us have different personal values. When we have kiddos, our personal values collide! Establish family values that incorporate what each person sees as important. For instance, we value ministry (serving together). So, we decided that we would never “punish” our kids from serving or attending church. No matter what, they always get to be a part of ministry, because that is something we value as a family.

• Recognize the pitfalls. Lack of energy happens because of the often sleepless nights or the sheer exhaustion of the effort put forth in parenting. I think we deplete our energy level even more when we attempt to make major life decisions at the wrong times. Often, we want to argue and debate things that do not really matter or can wait because we are tired. Several years ago, a friend shared the acrostic H.A.L.T – Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. Each of these areas cause us to have a skewed perspective of life, impact our decision-making skills, and ultimately lead us to situations of frustration. Lack of energy, or being tired, is a pitfall that leads us to make irrational emotional decisions. Work together as a couple to help each other see this when it is happening and trust each other to get out of it together.

Tomorrow we are going to look at the question, “As a parent, what are the top 3 struggles with your children?”

Had the chance to talk to my friend David Putman last week and was reminded about the Velocity Conference 2011. David and Shawn have a great line-up of speakers and it really is worth your time to be there. Here’s the info: February 21 & 22. Mountain Lake Church. Cumming, GA. Register HERE.

My friend, Pastor Chris Stephens, has a passion for helping others pastors and churches. Although the church today has tons of potential, many churches and church leaders are struggling. So, he created LIT, a one day, passion filled, conference that will help take your ministry to the next level. It’s being offered in 4 cities this year, and it’s time to register. Here are the dates:

• New Orleans – February 10
• Nashville – March 24
• Knoxville – May 12
• Virginia Beach – November 3

This is the type of experience priced to allow you to bring your whole team. REGISTER by clicking the links above – hope to see you there!

• Delta messed some things up and then pulled it out BIG TIME. Flew Business Class (or better) on all but 3 flights.
• Flew 22,000+ miles on 4 different airlines.
• Traveled to 5 countries and 4 different time zones including a Military Dictatorship & Communist Country.
• Rode 5 hours on a Thai bus (enough said), but drank some GREAT coffee.
• Spent 6 days in Sydney, Australia for the Hillsong Conference, where they have yet to introduce reasonably priced or free internet.
• Worshipped at the Hillsong Church City and Hills campuses – an awesome experience at each.
• Enjoy some pics and video from the conference (all taken with the iPhone 4 – simply an amazing phone)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Bottom line: It’s good to be home.

Today, I begin a crazy journey around the world. I’ll be in Tokyo, Thailand and Australia before returning back to the States. Please pray for safe travel over the next 12 days. Can’t wait to see what God does.

• First Coach, male or female, to win 1000 games
• 100% graduation rate of athletes who have played for her
• 13 SEC Tournament Titles
• 8 NCAA Titles
• 36th Seasons Coaching with the University of Tennessee

There is no greater leader in college athletics.

At 10:35 on Thursday, she will be sharing some leadership principles at the LIT Conference. During the time I host her, I want you to be a part. So,

If you could ask Coach Summitt one leadership question, what would it be?

Leave a comment and if I ask her your question on Thursday, I will get you a copy of one of her books.

You are one of the chosen, the called, to lead the church. But if you’re like most ministry leaders, you feel isolated and inadequate for such an overwhelming task. The LIT Conference was created to equip and encourage the called. We want to provide you with resources and relationships that will help you make a greater impact for the Kingdom of God.

If you haven’t signed up, you can do so HERE.

And, if you register on Friday, April 16, I will personally send you a copy of Pete Wilson‘s book, Plan B. All you have to do is forward a copy of your registration, dated April 16, to josh@faithpromise.org with your name and address.

On April 29th, my Pastor, Chris Stephens, is hosting the LIT Conference.  At the LIT Conference, you can join 250 other church leaders in Knoxville for a day of practical leadership lessons, personal connections, and laugh-out-loud moments. You will hear from four leaders – Pat Summitt, Chris Stephens, Pete Wilson and Johnny Hunt – in a setting that is unhurried and focused on depth.

On Tuesday, March 23 (TOMORROW), you can register for the conference at a discounted rate: $25 off the full price.

So, click HERE on Tuesday and enjoy the savings!

On April 29th, he will host the LIT Conference – a one day leadership experience for church leaders. The speaker line-up includes: Pat Summitt, Coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols, Pete Wilson, Pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville, Johnny Hunt, Pastor of FBC Woodstock, GA, and Chris. It is going to be an amazing day – you do not want to miss it!

You can register for $89 by clicking HERE. If you are in the Knoxville area, don’t miss this day of learning from some of the greatest leaders in our area!